How to Save Money on Fines – Living Simply

It is Monday, which means that it is time one more to put the digital pen to the digital paper and work on some words. It is time for day number six of thirty days of words.

Today let’s talk about coupons, saving money, and drunk driving.

The other day I was driving nonchalantly in to work. Since I started a new job two weeks ago I get to drive a different route to work than I had been for the past year and a half.

At any rate, as I was driving I noticed a billboard that proclaims, “I just saved $12,000 dollars by not drinking and driving.”

What does “saving money” really mean?

By not having to pay a fine for drunk driving is a person really saving money? Are you saving money if you weren’t planning to spend it anyway? (Regardless, if you find yourself in a place where you may get busted for drunk driving, please get a cab or call a friend. More scary to me than the idea of a $12,000 fine is the idea of having a drunk you driving on the same roads as some innocent young person.)

What if a person wouldn’t purchase the alcohol that would make them drunk? Isn’t that what saving money really looks like?

And then I thought about coupons and saving money.

I feel like I have to add a disclaimer here because I have friends who are totally into “couponing.” I have no problem with you couponing, this is just my personal opinion. You can definitely come out somewhere totally different than me and we can still be friends.

I really don’t like using coupons in person.

If there is a coupon I can use while checking out online (you know, where I can put little code in a little box and update my cart) I’ll totally do it. But having to stand in a line, hand a coupon over and then wait awkwardly for the person behind the counter to scan it, or ask their manager to come over and help them, well… lets just say I don’t like awkward encounters and whenever I try to use a coupon in person and there is some sort of question about the coupon, I feel awkward.

So I just don’t use coupons in person much.

I’m sure some chain store somewhere just breathed a sigh of relief. I’m the guy that they all hope comes to shop at their stores. I pay full price because I’m scared of awkward moments in the checkout line. (Its even worse when there is a long line of people behind me.)

I also know of people who will buy something only because its “on sale” or they have a coupon for it. This drives me bonkers (again, if you do something differently its ok). I already have too much stuff. I’m constantly trying to pair down the stuff I already have. Having a bunch of unused, clutter in my room is enough to drive me bonkers. Just ask my mom… (and also ask her to please let me get rid of my bed).

I truly believe that living simply can be very powerful. If you stop and think about what you really need to do good work and live a good life I think you’d be surprised.

Things to think about from this post.

Don’t drink and drive.

Don’t spend money you weren’t going to.

Use coupons. Or don’t.

Simplicity is freeing. Think you need 1000 options? Think again.

That’s it for today. I hope you have a wonderful day and I’ll see you again tomorrow!